Casting machine



June 26, 1956 c. D. MERILATT CASTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1952 June 26, 1956 c. D. MERILATT 2, ,6 8

' CASTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 15, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I LCD 64/ fad/212,477. C7

June 26, 1956 c. D. MERILATT 2,751,648

CASTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 15, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 26, 1956 c. M T 2,751,648

CASTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 15, 1952 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 (,2 r05 2 Mam/477' 5) w wazm June 26, 1956 c. D. MERILATT CASTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 15, 1952 l af'y. ji/

CASTING MACHINE Clyde 1). Merilatt, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Gould- National Batteries, inc St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Application August 15, 1952, Serial No. 304,613

Claims. (Cl. 22-77) This invention relates to a metal casting machine of the automatic type whereby a series of molds are moved along a determined path and successively filled with molten metal, cooled to solidify the metal in the mold cavities and opened for the removal of the castings which are finally ejected from the molds and collected in suitable containers.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a casting machine of the class described which produces castings of uniformly good quality rapidly and continuously and with a minimum of attention by the operator.

A particular object is to improve the quality and uniformity of the castings by providing automatic metal feeding mechanism which insures the complete filling of each mold cavity with metal while facilitating the maintenance of the metal as it enters the several molds at a uniformly correct temperature.

A further object is to provide a casting machine which greatly reduces the time and labor required to make adjustments and substitution of one set of molds for another having cavities of various types as required to produce castings of different sizes and shapes in the same machine.

The invention also includes certain other novel features of construction which will be more fully pointed out in the following specification and claims.

in the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example and not for the purpose of limitation, a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my improved casting machine;

Fig. 2 is a part side elevational view and part sectional view of the machine, the sectional part being taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view and part sectional view of the several molds;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing one of the battery strap and post castings formed in the mold;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the molds with the parts separated;

Fig. 7 is a detailed part elevational view and part sectional view showing the valve operating linkage;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary bottom plan view showing a portion of the main cam for actuating the mold members to and from open position;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the main cam taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 is a section taken on the line 1010 of Fig. 8;

Fig. ll is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 11-11 of Fig. l, and V Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic plan view showing my improved casting machine in operative relation to mechanism for supplying the molten metal and for receiving the castings.

Referring to the drawings, a series of molds indicated generally by the numeral 11 are bolted to and located nited States Patent ice beneath a substantially circular carrier plate 12 and this plate is bolted to a spider 13 which is fixed on a vertical shaft 14. This shaft is turned, step by step, intermittently, about its vertical axis to bring the several molds successively into position beneath a trough 15 which feeds molten metal to an opening in the top of each mold. Such step by step clockwise motion, as viewed from above, carries each mold after it has cooled suificiently to solidify the casting to a position beneath an ejector indicated generally by the numeral 16 which removes the casting downward from the mold. The illustrated molds are particularly adapted to form storage battery straps 17 (Fig. 5) each having an integral, upstanding post 18 and a series of horizontally projecting fingers 19 between which the lugs of battery plates are positioned and then secured by a suitable heat fusion treatment.

To form such castings, my improved molds comprise the principal parts shown in perspective in Fig. 6. Each mold has a supporting block 20 which is bolted to the bottom face of the carrier plate 12, a pair of side plates 21 secured to and depending from opposite sides of the block 24 and a cavity member 22 having cavities adapted to form the strap 17 and fingers 19. A second cavity member 23 is adapted to form the lower part of the post 18 and carries parallel guide bars 24 which fit slidably in grooves 25 formed in the plates 21. Guide grooves 26 are formed in the cavity member 22 to slidabiy receive the bars 24 and another groove 27 extends laterally in the upper face of the cavity member 22 to receive insert bar 28 for forming the end surfaces of the fingers i9. Rigidly secured to and projecting from the cavity member 22 is a guide stud 29 which is slidable in a bearing formed in a supporting bracket 30. This bracket is secured to the inner end of the supporting biock 2%. A roller 31 is revolubly mounted on a pin which depends from the lower side of the member 22 and a similar roller 32 is carried by the mold member 23. An insert 33 (Figs. 2 and 6) is carried by the mold member 23 to form a lower beveled surface of the post 15 and the upper portion of the post is formed by a substantially cylindrical cavity 34 formed in the block 20. The cavity 34 is in registry with an opening 35 in the carrier plate 12 through which the molten metal is admitted to the mold.

in operation, the cavity member 22 is actuated from the closed position indicated in section in Fig. 2, radially inward to an open position wherein this member is closely adjacent to the bracket 39 while cavity member 23 is moved radially outward to free the casting which is ejected downward out of the mold cavity by the ejector 16. Such relative movement of the mold members 22 and 23 is eiiected by operation of a fixed cam 36 which is formed with an upwardly open inner guide groove 37 for the rollers 31 of the several molds and an outer guide groove 38 for the several rollers 32.

Means are provided beneath the feed trough 15 for resiliently biasing the relatively movable cavity members 22 and 23 toward closed position. As shown in Fig. 2, this mechanism comprises a portion 36a of the cam 36 which is movable to a limited degree relative to a coacting portion 36b of the cam and a spring 39 actuating a pin 40 to bias the cam portion 36a toward the portion 36b and thereby draw the cavity members 22 and 23 together through the medium of the rollers 31 and 32. The spring 39 is confined in a recess formed in the member 35b and is arranged to engage a head on the pin 40, the other end of this pin being secured to the member 36a.

in order to facilitate the removal of the several molds from their rotary supporting carriage, the cam 36 is provided with a section 36c which is removable radially outward, as best shown in Fig. 8. To fasten the section 360 in place, a pair of plates 41' are secured to the bottom of this section and arranged to severally pro ect adjacent to the bottom surface of the adjacent fixed portions of the cam. Depending from these fixed portions are studs havingheads 42 adapted to be engaged by latch members 43 to removably fasten the section 36c in place.

Brackets 44 (Figs. 1 and 2) support the cam 36 in a horizontally extending and upwardly spaced relation to a table-like top member 45 of the machine frame. The

central shaft 14 of the mold carrier is freely revoluble in bearings 46 and 47 carried by the frame member 45 and fixed on the shaft 14 above the bearing 46 is a Geneva cam wheel 48 formed with radial slots 49 adapted to receive a roller 50 carried by a cam operating arm 51. A hub portion 52 of the arm 51 is fixed on a vertical, power-driven shaft 53. The periphery of the cam wheel 48 is formed with reentrant arcuate portions 54 which fit the periphery of the hub portion 52 to lock the wheel in its stationary or dwell positions when the roller 50 passes out of engagement with the radial slots 49. Thus the shaft 53 inone complete revolution is operative to turn the mold carrier shaft 14 one step equal to one-sixth of a complete revolution where there are six molds as shown. Between each arcuate advance of the mold carrier there is a dwell of sufficient duration to permit the filling of one mold with molten metal and the ejection of the casting from another.

Connections for driving the shaft 53 from the motor 55 may comprise a belt 56 trained on a motor driven pulley 57 and on a driven pulley 58 which is operatively connected to the shaft 53 through suitable gearing in a housing 59. A driven shaft 60 on which the pulley 58 is fixed carries a second pulley 61 which is connected by a belt 62 and pulley 63 to operate a hydraulic pump 64 for supplying fluid under pressure to the ejector mechanism 16. The pump 64 is mounted on a reservoir 65 containing the fluid and supplies the fluid under pressure to a valve 66 which controls the operation of the ejector. The valve has an operating stem 67 projecting upward and suitable linkage connects this stem to a cam operated arm 68 which is fixed near one end on a horizontally extending rock shaft 69 and carries a roller 70 on its opposite end. This roller engages cam surfaces defining a groove 71 on a cam 72 fixed on the shaft 53. The arm 68 is thus oscillated downward and then upward once during each revolution of the cam 72. The linkage between the rock shaft 69 and valve stem 67, as best shown in Fig. 7, comprises an arm 73 fixed on the shaft 69 connected by a link 74 to an 'arm 75 having a pivotal support 76 and a short shaft 77 extending horizontally to the upper end of the plunger 67.

The ejecting mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 16 has a plunger 78 adapted to be projected downward through openings 35 in the carrier plate 12 to force the castings out of the molds, the latter being open at the bottom when positioned beneath the ejector. The plunger 78 is operatively connected to a hydraulically operated piston in a cylinder 79 and the latter may be supplied with fluid under pressure through flexible hoses 80 and 81 extending to the valve 66 and connected respectively to the upper and lower ends of the cylinder 79. A bracket arm 82 having a pivotal support 83 on a fixed bracket 84 supports the cylinder 79 and a slotted lug 85 (Fig. 7) projects from the arm 82'for engagement with a bolt' 86 for fastening this arm and the ejecting mechanism in the operative position. A wing nut on the bolt 86 may be loosened to free the arm 82 and permit it to be swung to one side when repairs or readjustments are required. Suitable tubing connects the pump 64 to the valve 66 and the pump 64 to the reservoir 65 so that an oil or other hydraulic liquid may be pumped to and from'the cylinder 79 under control of this valve.

Fixed on the blower end portion of the shaft 53 which projects from the bottom of the gear housing 59 is a pinion 87 adapted to be connected to mechanism for collecting the castings after they have been ejected from the molds. As indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 12, a chute 88 extends beneath the molds when they successively reach their position in registry with the ejecting mechanism so that the castings are collected in this chute and delivered to boxes 89 supported on a rotary table 90. This table is rotated slowly in timed relation to the shaft 53 through suitable speed reducing gearing driven by a chain 91 trained on the sprocket wheel 87. Where there are six molds regularly spaced apart one from another on the carrier plate 12, the table is rotated one-sixth of a're'volution during each complete revolution of the shaft 53. Thus the castings are delivered one at a time and successively to the several boxes 89 (or compartments thereof) so that all boxes will contain an approximately equal number of castings when full. A molten lead alloy or, other molten metal suitablefor forming the castings may be supplied through a pipe 92 arranged to deliver a continuous stream of the metal into the trough 15. V V This trough has an opening 93 (Fig. 3) which registers with the openings 35 successively in the carrier plate 12, and the excess metal delivered by the pipe 92 flows back to the source through a trough 94 into which the trough 15 drains. As the source of molten metal, a'lead pot 95 of common type is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 12. A supply of metal is maintained at the correct temperature in the pot 95 by suitable heating means and controls which form no part of the present invention. During the operation of the casting machine a motor driven pump 96 supplies the feed pipe 92 with a continuously flowing stream of metal.

Summary of operation In operation the mold carrier plate 12 is turned intermittently to bring the individual molds 11 successively beneath the filling trough 15, the motion being such as to cause the molds to dwell momentarily in the metal receiving position. Molten metal is maintained at a suitable elevation in the trough 15 being supplied by the pipe 92 from the lead pot 95. During the filling of each mold it is held securely in closed position by operation of the spring 39. (Fig. 2 acting through the pin 40; relatively movable cam portions 36a and 36b and rollers 31 and 32 carried by the mold cavity members 22 and 23 respectively. The metal flows through the openings 93 the trough 15 and through the opening 35 in the carrier plate 12 to fill the cavity 34 in the block 20 and communicating cavities in the members 22 and 23.

As the step by step motion of the carrier continues the filled molds are moved clockwise toward and then under the ejector plunger 78. During this arcuate movement the molds are cooled sufiiciently to solidify the castings therein and then the cavity members 22 and 23 are separated by operation of the cam 36. As best shown in fig. 4, the cam grooves 37 and 38 diverge and reach their maximum separation beneath the ejecting mechanism so that each mold as it reaches the ejecting posit1on 18 open at the bottom. As each mold arrives at a position wherein the ejector plunger 78 is in registry with the opening 35 for that mold in the carrier plate 12, the ejector is actuated through the operation of the cam 72 and arm 68 which is operatively connected to the valve 66. This valve admits high pressure fluid to the upper end of the cylinder 79 through the hose 8t) and allows the escape of fluid from the lower end of the cylinder through the hose 81. The plunger 78 is thereby operated to kick out the casting from the bottom of the mold. The casting falls through the opening 36d in the cam 36 to the delivery chute 88 (Fig. 12) which deposits it in one of 'the boxes 89 on the rotating table 90. After the ejection of the casting the mold remains open during the next succeeding increment of movement of the carrier andis then closed as it approaches the filling position beneath the trough 15. This completes one cycle of Hal Qin-

operation during which a series of the castings equal in number to the number of molds on the rotary carrier are formed, cooled, ejected from the molds and deposited in suitable receptacles. By operation of the Geneva cam wheel 48 and cam arm 51 fixed on the shaft 53 each mold is caused to dwell momentarily with its carrier plate opening 35 in accurate registry with the filling opening 93 in the trough 15, and, subsequently, with its opening 35 in registry with the plunger 78 of the ejecting mechanism.

To prevent escape of molten metal between the bottom surface of the trough 15 and top surface of the carrier plate 12, these surfaces are machined and held in close fitting sliding contact one with the other. They may also be lubricated by the application of beeswax or other suitable lubricant. One set of mold blocks may be substituted for another set quickly and easily by reason of my provision of the removable section 366 of the cam 36. Section 36c is merely detached from the fixed portion of this cam and the bolts connecting the mold block 20 to the carrier plate 12 are removed when replacement of a mold or access to the several parts thereof is desirable. This makes it unnecessary to remove the carrier plate 12 from its supporting spider 13 for ordinary adjustments and replacements of the molds.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: p

l. A casting machine having a rotary mold carrier adapted to be rotated about a substantially vertical axis, a series of molds spaced apart circumferentially of and depending from said carrier and each having a fixed cavity member and a plurality of movable cavity members adapted to be actuated to open position relative to said fixed cavity member for the removal of the castings therefrom, said movable cavity members being disposed at opposite sides of the fixed cavity member, said carrier being formed with upwardly open filling openings communicating respectively with the cavities in the several fixed cavity members, means for supplying molten metal to said filling openings successively, an endless cam disposed beneath each of said movable mold members for actuating them to and from closed position in relation to said fixed cavity members, said cams having relatively movable segments disposed to close the molds during the filling operation, resilient means biasing said cam segments to resiliently close said movable cavity members in relation to said fixed cavity members during the filling, and means operatively connected to said carrier for rotating it.

2. A casting machine comprising a rotary mold carrier adapted to be rotated about a substantially vertical axis and having an annular, substantially horizontally disposed top plate formed with a series of circumferentially spaced filling openings, a series of molds spaced apart circumferentially of and depending from said carrier, said molds being movable by said carrier along a circular path and each having a fixed cavity member and outer and inner movable cavity members disposed respectively at the radially outward and radially inward sides of the fixed cavity member, the cavities in said fixed cavity members being in continuous communication with said filling openings, endless cams severally disposed beneath the outer and inner movable cavity members, means operatively connecting the several movable cavity members to said cams whereby to actuate said movable members to and from open position relative to said fixed cavity members, and power-driven means operatively connected to said carrier for rotating it.

3. A casting machine in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of said fixed cavity members is formed with a cavity extending downward from one of the filling openings in said carrier and each of said movable cavity memhers is formed with a cavity extending below and laterally from the cavity in a fixed cavity member.

4. A casting machine in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of said fixed cavity members is formed with a substantially cylindrical cavity extending downward from one of said inlet openings in the carrier and each of said movable cavity members is formed with an upwardly open cavity extending below and laterally from a cavity in a fixed cavity member.

5. A casting machine in accordance with claim 2 wherein said cams extending beneath the outer and inner movable mold members are provided with readily removable sections forming when removed an opening through which a mold may be passed when detached from said carrier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 35,275 Chadwick et al. May 13, 1862 543,700 Potter July 30, 1895 914,131 Fridericksen Mar. 2, 1909 1,493,469 Candler May 13, 1924 1,671,028 Hall May 22, 1928 1,913,945 Morris et al June 13, 1933 1,925,495 Nichols et al Sept. 5, 1933 1,925,496 Nichols Sept. 5, 1933 2,278,815 Winkel Apr. 7, 1942 2,284,835 Moore June 2, 1942 2,419,763 Cassell Apr. 29, 1947 

2. A CASTING MACHINE COMPRISING A ROTARY MOLD CARRIER ADAPTED TO BE ROTATED ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS AND HAVING AN ANNULAR, SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED TOP PLATE FORMED WITH A SERIES OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED FILLING OPENINGS, A SERIES OF MOLDS SPACED APART CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF AND DEPENDING FROM SAID CARRIER, SAID MOLDS BEING MOVABLE BY SAID CARRIER ALONG A CIRCULAR PATH AND EACH HAVING A FIXED CAVITY MEMBER AND OUTER AND INNER MOVABLE CAVITY MEMBERS DISPOSED RESPECTIVELY AT THE RADIALLY OUTWARD AND RADIALLY INWARD SIDES OF THE FIXED CAVITY MEMBER, THE CAVITIES IN SAID FIXED CAVITY MEMBERS BEING IN CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION WITH SAID FILLING OPENINGS, ENDLESS CAMS SEVERALLY DISPOSED BENEATH THE OUTER 